Oscar nominations: “The Dallas Buyers Club” and “Philomena” among nine Best Picture nominees

Woke up early to watch the announcement of the 2014 Oscar nominations live and was rewarded with the sight of hunky Chris Hemsworth reading the nominees – good move Academy!

I’m not a fan of the expansion of best picture beyond five nominees (there are nine this year) but I’m mighty glad to see that The Dallas Buyers Club made the cut and that lead Matthew McConaughey got a well-deserved first-ever best actor nomination just days after winning the Golden Globe.

Jared Leto was nominated for supporting actor for his performance as a transgender woman in the film. Also a Globe winner, he’s the front-runner in his category.

If either Leto or McConaughey win, there are many in the LGBT community who will be expecting them to say something meaningful about the AIDS epidemic which they did not do in the Globe speeches.

They play people dying of AIDS who go into business together selling alternative treatments – not yet approved in the US at the time – to fellow sufferers and extending their own lives along the way.

The film, also nominated for original screenplay, is based on a true story.

Also based on a true story is fellow best picture nominee Philomena about an Irish woman named Philomena Lee who teams up with a journalist to try and find the son she was forced to give up for adoption nearly 50 years earlier.

Along the way, she finds out the son is gay.

Judi Dench was nominated for best actress for her performance as Miss Lee and the film was also nominated in the adapted screenplay category.

Here is a list of Academy Award nominees in the major categories:

Best Picture: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor: Christian Bale (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Matthew McConaughey (The Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress: Amy Adams (American Hustle), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), Meryl Streep (August: Osage County).

Best Director: David O. Russell (American Hustle), Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Alexander Payne (Nebraska), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street).

Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street), Jared Leto (The Dallas Buyers Club).

Supporting Actress: Sallie Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), June Squibb (Nebraska).

The Acamedy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on ABC.  Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the show will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

For a FULL LIST of nominees, go to Oscars.org.